The Heart of Quidditch
by Lizard Breff
Summary: Oliver Wood's always seemed to be all about Quidditch, but not many people knew how he got his beginnings in it. It only took a girl pointing out that he didn't have a clue what he was talking about when it came to the sport before he even started Hogwarts. Throughout their sporadic interactions at Hogwarts and their lives after, this goes through the heart of Quidditch for Oliver.
1. The First Encounter

**Hi there! I haven't written anything in a really long time, but this idea came to me today and I've decided to just kind of go with it. I thought that it would be interesting to have a different reason for Oliver Wood getting so into Quidditch to begin with rather than the usual being that he was raised to adore it. I'm planning on keeping my chapters relatively short to make it where I can hopefully post regularly without feeling overwhelmed. I hope that people enjoy it, but I plan on continuing regardless as a creative outlet. I am perfectly open to how people perceive it and constructive criticism. I'm going to try to stay as true to the books as I can, so** _ **please**_ **tell me if you see that I've botched something up.**

 **I'm going to go ahead and say that this applies to this and all future chapters. Clearly I disclaim all that J.K. Rowling created with her beautiful mind.**

Chapter 1: The First Encounter

"Whit dae ye ken aboot it?" the young boy asked excitedly to the boy in front of him in line.

"Hopefully a bit more than you," started a girl not too far from him, "Do you even know what a Double Eight Loop is?" Her dark brown eyes filled with merriment.

"Aye lassie, whit dae it matter ta ye?" he responded quickly. The young boy was not accustomed to interacting with girls his own age, especially about a sport that he had just begun to explore.

"Well if you did know what it was, then you would have known that a chaser doesn't pull off that move," she retorted back. "You should read up on the terminology if you want to talk about strategy tactics of games."

"Wisnae asking ye, wis I?" he answered quickly as his face heated up. He hadn't even been talking to this girl and she was pointing out that he might not know as much about the sport as he thought. All it had taken for him to take an instant liking to it was to watch some of his cousins fly around in the field not far from his house playing a pick-up game. He had just thrown out a term that he had heard one of his aunt's say over the summer to try to impress the boy in front of him.

"It's true. He was talking to me, not you," the other boy interjected, trying to save the first boy. He had been getting along with him and didn't want to risk a possible new friend because some girl was trying to embarrass him.

"Wasn't trying to be trouble," she said back, annoyed at the two boys in front of her. "You two keep on then."

"Ella?" shouted an unseen woman. The young girl turned at the name and calmly walked to a woman that came around a corner across the shop without casting a second glance towards the two boys. The woman and young girl, apparently named Ella, left the store with a jingle from the bell over the door. Upon her exit, the two boys began to talk once more as the line continued to move.

"What does she know anyways," the boy closer to the register said. "She didn't even purchase anything. My brother Charlie is on the Gryffindor team at Hogwarts." His chest puffed out slightly with pride about this. "He could tell you all about the different rules and moves, but… he's off buying his supplies on his _own_." He looked sharply at the kind looking woman next to him that was sporting the same ginger hair as he was.

"Charlie is in his fourth year, dear," tutted the woman back to him as she finally moved forward to the register. "He is old enough to get his things without my constant supervision." She then paid for the new pair of fingerless gloves in her hands that would be going to Charlie when they caught back up with him. Charlie's current pair of gloves were at the point that they were useless with the number of holes in them, thus leading to the Weasleys being in _Quality Quidditch Supplies_ in the first place.

"Well, I'm Percy Weasley," the ginger boy said smiling and turning while sticking his hand out to shake hands with the boy who had been telling a story of a pick-up Quidditch game that his family had played over the summer.

"Oliver Wood," the other boy replied with excitement showing in his brown eyes as he firmly shook Percy's hand. A friendship started between the two boys as they continued to discuss Quidditch while Oliver's father bought him his first Quidditch jersey from the team Puddlemore United. They then left the shop to finish purchasing the items on their first year's supplies list. It wouldn't be until after talking to Percy's brother Charlie on the Hogwarts Express that Oliver would discover that he was indeed incorrect about a chaser performing a Double Eight Loop. Discovering this one small fact is all that it would take for young Oliver Wood to put everything he had into learning more about Quidditch to show the girl from Quality Quidditch Supplies that he knew more than her about it. It would seem to be quite an overreaction, but then again who is to question the logic of an 11-year-old boy?

As Oliver and Percy were swallowed into the crowd being led by their parents, the girl Ella from earlier was walking into _Eeylops Owl Emporium & Magical Menagerie_ with the woman that had called out her name. "Ella!" squealed a fair-skinned girl from the corner of the shop filled with cats. The young girl quickly rushed over to Ella, enveloping her in a warm hug.

"You just saw her two days ago," sighed a woman that the young girl had abandoned by the cats. "You act like I didn't let you two see each other practically all summer." The woman set her fixated stare onto her daughter.

"Mum," the girl drawled out. "Two days is a long time." The two women gave each other bemused looks as they let the two young girls wander towards the owls while chattering.

"You let her color part of her hair?" the woman that had come into the shop with Ella asked. The two kept an eye on the girls as they walked back towards the cats.

"Well, I told her that she was allowed to express her individuality in reasonable ways and she decided that the only way that she wasn't being 'repressed' by her father and I was to have the underneath of her hair colored purple. It was a pretty simple spell and I went ahead and taught it to her so that she'll only be able to retouch the color rather than come back with it being all kinds of ways," the second woman replied with a chuckle.

"Kathy, you are too much sometimes," the first woman tittered, "It does look good with her natural dark brown hair, but of course little Skye decided that purple was the only way to express her individuality. I can remember her coloring her whole face purple as a toddler." The two woman burst into laughter at the memory, earning an embarrassed glance from their daughters.

"Oh my," Kathy said between giggles, "It took _ages_ to get all of that purple off of her! I swear the tint stayed for a whole week. The neighbors kept asking us why she looked so sickly." The two woman started chuckling all over again at this remark and continued to reminisce as Kathy chose and bought a cat for herself. She told Ella's mother that it was to cuddle and love on while her only child went off to Hogwarts.

Over in the opposite corner Ella and Skye had each just finished choosing an owl. Ella had chosen a brown owl while Skye had picked out a barn owl. The two girls giggled as they approached their mothers at the register. "What's so funny my loves?" Kathy asked with a caring smile as the two girls came nearer to them.

"Ella was just telling me about how some bloke went on about how he thought that a chaser performs a Double Eight Loop!" Skye cried as she began to giggle all over. "Can you imagine, mother? I wonder if he really got the keeper and chaser mixed up or if he just had no idea what the move actually was." The two young girls continued to giggle as their mothers tried their best to not encourage them.

"While he was most certainly incorrect, I hope that you weren't laughing like this to the young boy's face," Ella's mother said with a pointed look at her. The young girl rolled her eyes with an exasperated sigh at her mother.

"Of course she didn't Ms. Lynn!" Skye said cheerfully before Ella could reply, "She just told him that he was wrong and had no idea what he was talking about!" The two girls let out another small giggle as their mothers gave them a quick, stern look before letting their gazes soften. Making sure to bring the topic of conversation to a close, the two mothers took the owls from their respective daughters before turning to pay for them.

"That'll be ten galleons each," the man behind the register said as he smiled at the four in front of him. "Still have Ollivanders to go to?" he asked now focused on the two young girls. The two instantly perked up before spurting out their excitement.

"Oh, we've already been!" exclaimed Skye. "Mine was 10 ¾ inches long and made of rowan wood with a phoenix feather core! Can you believe it? Mr. Ollivander said that it's a rare wand core!" she continued on without waiting for a response.

"And mine was 14 ½ inches long made of silver lime wood with a phoenix feather core!" Ella added on. "Can you imagine the odds of us _both_ having the rarer wand core?" she asked her mother as she turned to her bouncing on her heels, unable to contain her excitement. The man behind the counter chuckled at the excitement of the two girls in front of his as he finished the transaction.

"It's because we were meant to be best friends," Skye retorted with a smile as she was handed her owl from the counter. The two girls nodded their heads as if this made perfectly reasonable sense. The two mothers laughed at their children as they all exited the store thankful that they were done shopping for their daughters' first year school supplies. The two girls and all of the other first year students in Diagon Alley radiated with excitement towards their upcoming first year at Hogwarts as they wandered about during that August of 1987.

 **Like I had said, I plan on my chapters being rather short. This was kind of just a little introduction to who I intend the main characters to be. The character development is going to take a little bit of time.**


	2. The Bond of Purple

_Thanks for reading to those who I've seen have read the first chapter. (:_

* * *

 **Chapter 2: The Bond of Purple**

Food was piled all along four long tables that stretched across a great room and along one additional table at the far end from the entrance facing the other four. A low roar could be heard across the Great Hall as all the students had begun to chatter once more now that the sorting had been completed. Each table was a little fuller than it had been just minutes before with the additions of new students sorted into their houses. A new face sat at the table at the front for the older students, but for almost all of the first years there were new faces everywhere that they looked. Along a table with students lined in canary yellow sat the two girls who had been shouting their excitement for the wands while purchasing their owls.

"Mum will be ecstatic that we were both sorted into the same house," Ella stated while obtaining a rather large proportion of mashed potatoes from a nearby bowl. "I wonder if she thought I would be in Hufflepuff or another house," she continued while looking around for something else for her plate.

"I thought they were never going to get to me," Skye responded back, slouching slightly to the left. "Who would have thought that there would be so many last names before Wolff?" Skye then began to eat the meal she had made before herself as Ella was still searching for something. "You don't have your plate filled enough yet? What are you looking for?" Ella continued to slowly look from her left to right before unhappily answering.

"What good are all of these mashed potatoes without gravy to cover them?" she said with a slight frown and her brows pushed together trying to see where she had missed the before mentioned gravy. An older girl two seats down the table from them with mousy brown hair made eye contact with Ella as she was pouring gravy over practically her entire plate. She hesitantly began to stop when she heard Ella say this, realizing that perhaps someone else wanted to use it as well. Ella gave her a hopeful look as she finished with the gravy. Skye went back to eating as she quickly lost interest in the interaction. That is, until this older girl's gaze went just past Ella as she went to pass her the gravy and focused on Skye. The girl's features lit up and she let out an enthusiastic 'Oh!' This had recaptured Skye's attention and she looked up from the last of the string beans on her own plate.

"Is that purple in your hair?" the older girl asked with excitement. "That'd drive the rest of my family bonkers. I don't know why I've never thought of it before myself." She quickly switched her plate with that of the boy's next to her. "What're you waiting for Limpley? Get up so we can switch spots." He got up with slight irritation towards the girl and switched spots. "I'm Tonks," the girl said with enthusiasm at the two younger girls. Skye had a pleased look on her face at having someone notice that she most certainly did have purple in her hair.

"As a matter of fact, it is," Skye said, trying to not show how excited she was that the older girl had taken an interest in her hair. She then smiled at Tonks as she fired off several different questions at her about how people had responded to the color.

"Would you mind if I did my hair purple similarly?" Tonks asked. "I, of course, would have it look different. No need to be twinning, but the inspiration is there." The excitement wasn't fading at all and large grins appeared on Ella and Skye's faces.

"Of course I don't mind!" Skye answered. "What better way to make friends than through a shared love of purple?" The three laughed together before Ella finally poured the gravy from earlier onto her mashed potatoes.

"And of course any questions or help you need, feel free to ask me!" Tonks exclaimed, her eyes filled with laughter. "I'm in my fourth year already so I'm sure I can answer most of your questions." The kindness and openness of Hufflepuff presented itself to Ella and Skye through Tonks as she answered all of the questions that she could.

Across the hall, the two boys who had become quick friends in line purchasing Quidditch items looked up from their table lined with students in crimson after a few shouts of surprise and excitement came from elsewhere in the hall. A head of 'violently' violet hair seemed to be at the center of it as those around her were babbling the loudest. Next to the violet-haired girl was the girl that had pointed out Oliver's error back in Diagon Alley. She was laughing and shouting animatedly between the girl with violet hair and another girl next to her. "Well, thank goodness she wasn't sorted into Gryffindor," Percy said sharply. The young Weasley seemed to be a judgmental boy and was sticking to his first impression on this girl. "She doesn't seem like she'll be taking things very seriously while at school."

"Just sees me mair time tae lear aw I can aboot Quidditch afore I come by her again," Oliver replied simply. "Canna lat her caw me oot like that again. Ye say ye can get a beuk for me tae lear mair aboot it?" he continued giving Percy his undivided attention. The two had finished their meals and were filling up the time before they were told where to go next.

"Yes," Percy answered quickly, "I'm certain that Charlie owns a copy of _Quidditch Through the Ages_ and he has no need for it now. He's practically memorized the whole thing." After this, the two boys continued on with relaxed conversation until they were told to follow the prefects. Later that evening Charlie was glad to lend Oliver his copy of _Quidditch Through the Ages._ Percy had been correct in assuming that he didn't have an extreme need to hold onto it. Oliver spent a great deal of time during the course the next few months pouring over the book and asking Charlie questions. As Oliver Wood learned more about the sport, his desire to learn how to play also grew. It wouldn't be until mid-November before Oliver and Percy would interact with Ella again, but it'd be longer still until he would get the chance to begin learning how to play Quidditch himself.

* * *

 _Just trying to move through time here. So we can see that Ella and Skye were sorted into Hufflepuff and have befriended Tonks pretty quickly. I feel like she would be a good person for the two younger girls to look up to and ask guidance from as they begin their time at Hogwarts. This chapter was a little shorter than the last, but I wanted to end it there to be able to have the next chapter focus on an actual interaction between the two groups of people among other things._


	3. The Granddaughter of Devlin Whitehorn

**Chapter 3: The Granddaughter of Devlin Whitehorn**

On a Thursday morning the first year Hufflepuffs were sitting in Transfiguration with the Slytherins waiting on Professor McGonagall to finally allow them to start trying to perform a transforming spell that would let them turn mice to snuffboxes. They had spent the last three classes reviewing the theory of the spell and were ready to start making real attempts at it.

"Mr. Higgs," McGonagall said, drawing the attention of the class back to her, "What would be an indication that this spell was done incorrectly?" She paused her slow walk across the classroom to keep her look on him as he thought about the question. The young Slytherin paused for just a moment before responding.

"I believe if the snuffbox still has whiskers, it's not been done correctly," he stated. McGonagall resumed her walk towards the center of the front of the classroom after his response. She gave a quick, short nod before continuing on.

"That's correct, Mr. Higgs. I'm glad that you have been studying for class." She paused for about half a minute before saying, "You may now take out your wands to begin practicing the practical elements of this spell. I will be readily available for any student that needs me." The first years quickly scattered their pieces of parchment out for note taking as they all went to retrieve their wands. "Please try to work along with the student next to you. Work together to see what you may be doing wrong and how you can improve your performance of this spell." Wand movements were quickly seen across the classroom.

"I think you're putting too much emphasis on the u," Ella told Skye as the mouse remained the same when the blue light faded. "Try to pronounce the beginning more like _murs_ than _moors_." Skye nodded as she took in what her friend had just told her before turning back to the mouse in front of her.

"Muresarca," she said clearly while pointing her wand at the resistant mouse in front of her. The mouse glowed blue as it tried to scurry to the other end of their desk before it came to a halt as it turned into a snuffbox. Skye made a noise of excitement as she turned to Ella beaming. "I did it! Thank you Ella. I can't believe something that small made that much of a difference." Ella was smiling at her friend enjoying her excitement of completing the spell correctly. McGonagall made her way to their desk as the two girls were enjoying Skye's success.

"Well done, Ms. Wolff," Professor McGonagall said as she inspected the snuffbox. She turned it over in her hands before setting it back on the desk between the two girls. "With just a little more concentration when casting, I believe you could even produce a shinier snuffbox. I expect you to now try the spell yourself Ms. Lombardi?"

"Of course, Professor," Ella replied as she reversed the incantation on the mouse. McGonagall began to walk around the classroom once more as the mouse began to scatter around the top of their desk. "Give me a second to get ready," Ella said to Skye as she kept her eyes on the mouse.

"I'm afraid this still has whiskers, Ms. Bainbridge. 5 points from Slytherin. I should hope that you will pay more attention in future lessons. This is a basic spell, you only need a fair amount of concentration to perform it successfully," McGonagall could be heard saying across the room. Ella paused for a second, her nerves growing a bit as she saw Benjamin McEwen, a fellow Hufflepuff, also lose house points for his mouse still having whiskers. She turned her gaze back to the mouse before her and threw all other thoughts out of her mind. Professor McGonagall had told Tabitha Bainbridge that the spell only required a fair amount of concentration, so she would concentrate on nothing else to make sure she wouldn't lose her house any additional points.

"Muresarca," she said as she kept her eyes locked with those of the mouse. A blue light emitted from the mouse as it quickly turned into a snuffbox. Ella let out a quick breath as she allowed a small puff of breath out of her mouth.

"Oh, come on," Skye slightly whined next to Ella, "How'd you manage to get yours so shiny on the first try? Stop outdoing everyone so quickly." Ella gave a side smile towards Skye as she looked around at the attempts of the rest of the class.

"I wasn't trying to do outdo everyone," Ella replied as she grimaced at a snuffbox in the back that still had the legs of the mouse. "I just didn't want it to still have whiskers like a few of the others. I'm not really wanting to lose us any house points. Plus, it's transfiguration! You know how well I need to do in this class and Charms," she continued as she turned her attention back to Skye. Skye let out a small grunt before replying.

"Yeah, I know, I know. If you want to work in the family business, you have to excel in here and Charms. You have ages here before you have to worry about that though!" The two girls laughed a little and continued looking around the classroom.

"You're right, you're right. I know it's ages away, but I still want to start strong. By the way, I heard that it's actually clear skies out today… want to go outside for a bit after History of Magic?" Ella asked Skye with a bright smile.

"Yeah, I guess so. Don't have any reason not to," Skye said back as McGonagall made her way back by their desk. One of McGonagall's eyebrows raised just ever so slightly as she came to a halt in front of the girls' desk.

"This is very well done," she began as she picked the snuffbox up. "10 points to Hufflepuff. Not only does it have a nice shine to it, but it's the brightest shine that I've seen so far this week. Keep up the good work Ms. Lombardi," McGonagall said with a small smile as she placed the snuffbox down and continued her way across the room.

"Alright, now I have to try again. I'm going to get a bloody shine on this thing before we leave today," Skye said as she pulled the untransfigured mouse towards her. It took several more tries for Skye, but she managed to get a slight shine on her snuffbox before class ended, earning 5 points from Professor McGonagall. All of the students had managed to get a snuffbox without whiskers by the end of class. A pleased Professor McGonagall told the class that they would begin the theory of a new spell, Lepusfors, on Tuesday.

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Ella and Skye were enjoying their free afternoon after lunch on the school grounds with Tonks before the older girl had to get to Ancient Runes. Tonks was giving them pointers on which classes they should try to do better in depending on what they were wanting to eventually start in their third year. When the two first year girls had heard that they could take elective classes in two years, they had gotten overly excited and wanted to know what they would be offered. Tonks laughed and waved to the two girls as she headed back into the castle to go to class.

"Can we just skip next year and the rest of this year?" Skye asked laughing while she twirled in little circles to keep her body warm. There was a slight chill outside and the two girls were staying in constant motion to keep their bodies from getting too cold.

"I wish!" exclaimed Ella, "I don't know how much more I could have taken of Binn's droning on about medieval witches and wizards. I already knew most of what he covered today from when I read Hogwarts: A History months before we even started school here." Ella was jumping up and down to stay warm before she ran at the tree a meter or two from them. She used her momentum to go slightly up the tree before grabbing on to the lowest branch and hanging from it as Skye began to talk.

"I don't mind it as much. At least we've made it past Ancient Greek times! I was tired of hearing the same things about such a small number of witches and wizards. I'm glad that there are at least more people he's talking about." Skye stopped her twirling to look at Ella before she fell backwards from dizziness. The two began laughing after Skye had indicated that she was okay from the fall.

"Oh look," Ella said as she swung her body until she was able to swing her legs over the branch.

"What am I supposed to be looking at?" Skye asked with her head slightly tilted up from the ground towards her friend.

"Over there," Ella replied as she now hung from the branch by her legs pointing over by the Quidditch pitch. There was a small group of what appeared to be first years gathered together as Madam Hooch approached from the pitch. "Looks like the Gryffindors and Slytherins are having their flying lessons."

"So they are," Skye retorted as she laid her head back down.

"It looks like Madam Hooch is letting them play around with the quaffle. I bet she's trying to see if there's any talent for next year's teams since the first Quidditch match was last week."

"Oh yeah, I'm sure that's what she's doing," Skye said back sarcastically.

"Well, I would be! I bet she's so bored just teaching us all basics. I hope she lets us play with the quaffle tomorrow too." Ella lifted her body up to the branch before pulling herself up onto it and climbing up higher in the tree.

"Where are you going? You're just going to leave me down here looking like a crazy person laying on the ground in the cold by myself?"

"I am if you're going to stay down there. I'm just climbing a little higher to get a better view! I want to see how others are handling the school's old brooms. It'll be great research for me to consider in the future."

"Fine, I'm coming up too then! I don't care about the brooms, but I want to see if anyone is any good with the quaffle. There's a couple students leaving both teams after this year, so there will be open spots to fill. I need to know who I'm going to need to cheer for and who I'm going to have to yell obscenities at." Skye then ran up the tree as Ella had done earlier before making her way a few branches up. "Plus, I don't need people thinking that I'm a nutter just laying out in the cold on my own." The two spectated the Gryffindors and Slytherins from their tree as some of them played a makeshift Quidditch game. "That Gryffindor is doing a great job blocking the quaffle," Skye said after a few minutes.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, they're doing pretty good. Their motions with their broom are pretty smooth, but they're jerking it a little sharp when they go for the quaffle. I wonder if that's the broom acting that way or if it's the person flying it causing it…" Ella trailed off. Skye waved her friend's comment off.

"It doesn't really matter, they're brilliant at it. I hope they try out next year. I'll be able to actually cheer for Gryffindor when they block Slytherin and Ravenclaw's shots. Gives me something to look forward to." Madam Hooch could be seen waving her hands around calling the students back down from the air and getting the quaffle from one of the Slytherins that had been in possession of it.

"It looks like their class is over. Dinner must be soon. Maybe I can ask that Gryffindor if they felt the broom jerking or not before they blend in with all of the other Gryffindors in the Great Hall."

"Just don't go insulting them!" Skye called after Ella as she jumped down a few branches and then down from the tree. "And don't you dare go in the castle without me! You know I can't climb down as fast as you can."

"Don't worry, I won't leave you out here! I'm just going to try to catch them before they get inside and then I'll wait for you to get to the entrance!" Ella yelled over her shoulder as she jogged towards the other first years filing back up towards the castle. "Hey!" she shouted as she got closer to the group. They paused for a second before most of the students kept walking towards the castle to eat dinner. A few students with crimson-lined robes had stayed back to see what this girl with canary yellow-lined robes that was jogging up to them wanted.

"Yeah?" one of them yelled as she got closer.

"Who was playing keeper?" she asked to the girl that had shouted as she came to a stop in front of them.

"Oh, that was Oliver," she replied before starting to go towards the hall. Oliver had been one of the Gryffindors that had stayed back to see what the Hufflepuff had wanted. She'd been jogging over pretty quickly and he noticed it wasn't a short distance as it looked like there was another Hufflepuff trudging along towards them about a kilometer and a half away. He looked at the girl in front of him and realized that not only was she not winded, but that this was the girl from _Quality Quidditch Supplies_.

"Whit are ye askin for?" Oliver asked curious with some of his fellow Gryffindors still present.

"Well, I could see that you were jerking a little sharp any time that you went to catch the quaffle and I was wondering if it was you or the broom doing that?" she asked excited that she had caught them before they made it into the castle. A few of his friends laughed a little at her words and Oliver had a confused look on his face.

"Ye're watchin' me fly?" he asked puzzled.

"Well, not you specifically. Skye and I were out here wandering about since we didn't have any more classes today and I was watching how everyone was handling their brooms since we noticed you lots' flying class," she retorted quickly. "But I saw that most of your movements were pretty smooth when you weren't trying to catch the quaffle to block it. So I wanted to know if that was just you or the broom, and if it was the broom then which one you were flying."

"That's kind of a weird question," Percy interjected giving Ella an equally confused look.

"Oi!" a voice called out from a distance behind Ella. "Hurry up and ask Ella, I'm hungry!" Skye was finally getting close to the group of first years. Ella turned back to Oliver that was directly in front of her.

"Well, did you notice if the broom was working against you?" she asked quickly.

"Just awee bit, but I ne'er really gat tae fly afore Hogwarts," Oliver said. "I'm still feegurin' it oot."

"Oh, right," Ella said, her smile falling a little. "Do you happen to know what model it was anyways?"

"A Comet 260," Percy spoke up from next to Oliver.

"Bollocks!" Ella exclaimed. "You were flying that well on a Comet 260?" She looked at Oliver like he'd grown an extra head. Her turn in demeanor caught Oliver, Percy and the third boy off guard.

"It's not that big of a deal," the third boy said as he started to walk off a little. "I'm going to head into dinner, I'll see you lot inside." As he disappeared in the doors Skye finally walked up to the group.

"Fly one of the Cleansweep 5's next time you have flying. The Comet 260 is one of the cheaper models and it wasn't designed for great performance," Ella said confidently to Oliver before turning to Skye next to her. "It was probably the broom," she started saying to Skye, "He was flying a Comet 260. I already knew that I didn't need to worry about Comet Trading Company's models." She turned back to Oliver before telling him, "Sorry to bother you, thanks for humoring me."

"Hey, ye canna keep miscawen me like this ivery time ye see me," Oliver said, now frustrated. He huffed a bit with his arms crossed as Percy tried to look equally annoyed.

"He's right, it's quite insulting that every time you've run into us that you've said something belittling to Oliver," Percy stated with a small nod.

"What're you talking about?" Skye asked, tired of waiting to go in for dinner. Ella looked equally as confused as she looked from Skye to the two boys in front of her. She tilted her head sideways a tad as she looked more intently at the Scottish boy before her. Hey eyes widened just slightly before a loud 'oh!' came out of her mouth.

"Double Eight Loop!" Ella shouted in recognition before hitting Skye's arm and pointing to Oliver in front of her. "From Diagon Alley," she clarified to Skye. Skye's own eyes then widened as she connected the boy in front of her with the story her friend had told her months ago and releasing her own 'Oh!'

"Well, ye wis richt aboot that," Oliver said with slight embarrassment that there were now two girls in front of him that knew he'd been wrong about this Quidditch term back in Diagon Alley. "But Percy is richt, ye seem tae be miscawen me ivery time ye rin intae us." Skye laughed quietly next to Ella.

"Of course you end up insulting someone that's naturally adept on a broom," Skye laughed even more. Ella floundered a bit as she tried to bring words forth out of her mouth.

"I wasn't trying to insult you," Ella finally got out. Oliver and Percy both looked at Ella with disbelief at this remark. "Okay, well maybe at _Quality Quidditch Supplies_ I was picking on you a little bit, but I wasn't today!" she exclaimed exasperated. "I need to do what research I can on how different people handle different brooms while I'm here."

"Whit are ye bletherin aboot?" Oliver asked now confused again. "That's nae a pairt o' ony cless here."

"Of course it isn't," Ella replied, now being the one confused. "I need to know to be able to work with my family designing and improving different models of brooms, and I want to make sure our brooms are better than the others." Oliver and Percy now looked at the girl before them with their confusion and curiosity growing by the second. Next to Ella, Skye was not amused.

"Come _on_ Ella. I'm starving!" Skye yelled as she threw her hands in the air with a huff. Ella looked at her impatient friend next to her before turning back to the two Gryffindors.

"My grandfather founded the Nimbus racing broom company. My mother is leading the company with my grandfather, but when he gets older I'm going to have to help my mom run the company and improve our models." Percy let out a quick puff of air in irritation at Ella.

"I don't see how that would even be possible," Percy retorted smartly. "That's a pretty silly lie to tell to try to get out of admitting that you were just admiring Oliver from where ever you were," Percy said with an uncharacteristically teasing tone. Oliver looked just as perplexed at what Percy said as Ella and Skye did.

"I was doing no such thing!" Ella said back loudly, her cheeks turning a slight red at Percy even suggesting such a thing.

"Well, you're trying to say that Devlin Whitehorn is your grandfather and I'm finding that hard to believe since he's only 42 and you're already 11," Percy replied back, deciding that he had won the argument as he folded his arms in front of his chest.

"Yeah!" she exclaimed now full of anger. "Say hello to teen pregnancy because that's how me and my mum got here! How dare you try to say that I'm lying about my own family." Ella was furious and it was definitely showing on her face. Beside her, Skye was also looking a bit angry, but not as much so as Ella. Percy now had the decency to look ashamed as Oliver just looked a bit uncomfortable. "So don't go bleeding saying I'm doing things that I'm not and then saying I'm lying when I'm not!" Ella then stormed off with Skye running up beside her.

"Thanks for making her all upset for dinner!" Skye shouted back with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "I'm so hungry I could just die here and now," she mumbled under her voice. The two girls went into the castle and had their dinner next to Tonks, who ended up getting an earful of Ella's annoyance with certain Gryffindors. Outside the castle Oliver stood for a few more seconds before he looked at Percy.

"Ye made her reid mad, ye daed," Oliver stated as he started to walk into the castle. Percy quickly walked in behind him.

"I didn't mean to though! It hardly sounded like a realistic thing!" he tried to defend himself. Oliver let out a laugh at his friend next to him.

"It's fine, she'll hae tae get ower it," Oliver said laughing once more as they sat down at the Gryffindor table. "Ye haurd whit she said tho, she knaws all aboot brooms an Quidditch and haes an in tae things we daena. Appearently she wisna tryin tae miscaw me, so mebbe we can try tae be pals whit her." Oliver began to dig into his plate as Percy groaned a little.

"But I made an arse out of myself," he said trying to get as much food on his fork as possible.

"That's yer faut, nae mine," Oliver said laughing at Percy between bites. Oliver was curious about this girl Ella now that he didn't feel like she was set on embarrassing him in front of his friends. He wouldn't really have time to satisfy any of his curiosity about her until his fourth year at Hogwarts. Oliver would be too distracted by making the Quidditch team in his second year as Keeper and learning more about how to play the sport. His third year he spent most of his time improving his skills and broom handling on the pitch. The two would eventually become friends, but still not for a few more years after their next interaction.

* * *

 _I've been a bit busy over the past week, but I finally had some free time so I wrote a slightly longer chapter than the first two. Hope that you enjoyed it. I'm actually a bit excited to skip forward to their fourth year in the next chapter._


	4. The All-Out Snowball War

**Chapter 4: The All-Out Snowball War**

 _[November 1990]_

Time had passed and Ella Lombardi had gradually forgotten about her last interaction with Percy Weasley and Oliver Wood. Instead, she spent a fair amount of her free time practicing new charms that she discussed with Professor Flitwick outside of class. She was constantly finding new charms that she felt could be used in some way to make the next broom model even better than the one that came before it. However, it should not be assumed that this was all young Ella was up to. She also spent a large amount of time with her best friend Skye Wolff and several new friends she had made from other houses. While Ella had a career goal that she was determined to work towards, she also saw the importance of enjoying her journey there with the people around her.

It was late November of Ella's fourth year of Hogwarts that she could be found on the school grounds running around in the snow with Skye and a group of students consisting of a variety of years from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff houses. There was a great deal of laughter and shouts of surprise coming from the large group of students as they were in an all-out snowball war. At this point no one was able to remember how the snowball fight had even began, much less how it had escalated into an all-out war with so many students. Ella stealthily crawled from her crumbling blockade to the next closest one that she could see. A Ravenclaw boy hidden behind it made eye contact with her as she glanced up to see how much further she had to go to reach this temporary position of safety. He smiled warmly at her antics to not be seen as he crouched down further behind the barricade. Ella continued her rapid crawl to his blockade and accepted his help on righting herself behind it as her own finally crumbled to the ground ten meters back. Shouts could be heard from across the war zone as the opposing team saw that Ella was no longer behind the fallen barrier.

"Where'd she go?" a voice was heard saying amongst the other shouts.

"Just move on to the next one!" another voice shouted to the first person. "We can't let up now!" The group that had previously teamed up against Ella started attacking a barricade in the opposite direction from the one she had escaped to. Ella peered around the corner of the new barrier she was behind to figure out the placement of the other group.

"Okay, so we should be able to sneak over by that tree to our right. They're all facing opposite of it at the moment so we should be able to still have the element of surprise," Ella stated to the Ravenclaw behind her as she continued to stare down the group. The Ravenclaw had been silent up until this point, but made a noise that exhibited his uncertainty about the plan. "Trust me," Ella said as she put her hand out to the side of the barrier making some weird sign with her fingers, "I've called in a few reinforcements for our cause." She now turned to face him with an excited grin on her face. He was entirely in the dark on what they were actually planning on doing, but she seemed so sure of it that he grinned as well and nodded for them to continue on to the tree. Ella crouched for a few seconds before running a few steps and stretching her arms out into a diving motion as she reached the halfway point to the tree that she had pointed out. She slid the remainder of the way there on her belly and grabbed the tree to stop herself when she reached it. The Ravenclaw laughed at her maneuvers as she motioned for him to follow her. He peered around the corner of his blockade to make sure the other group were still facing away from him before starting his sprint to the tree. As he neared the tree he saw Ella motioning him down with her hands. He could see her mouthing 'Get down!' and so he dropped straight to the ground.

"What're you doing?" he heard someone in the other group say. He started to feel a bit panicked that they had seen him and tried to not move a muscle as he waited to hear what would be said next.

"I thought I saw something that way, must have just seen a bird flying away out of the corner of my eye. There's no way I missed an entire person," a boy's voice responded.

"Well keep on making our arsenal of snowballs then!" the first person shouted. "We're running low and they're coming back strong!" The Ravenclaw let out a breath that he hadn't known that he had been holding and started to slowly crawl the small bit of space left until the tree. He was pulled into a sitting position behind it to see not just Ella, but also another five students from the two houses. Two younger students were building up their supply of snowballs while Ella had a tickled expression on her face when she looked at him.

"Trying to get taken out back there?" she asked with laughter in her eyes. He grinned at her and shook his head no. She laughed a little at this and turned to her recruitments. "Alright, so here's the game plan. Lunch is starting soon so we need to end this war, but no giving up! We can win this thing!" she stated with confidence. She then drew out their plan of attack in the snow in between them all, making sure to assign a task to each person. She turned and peered behind the tree and nodded as she turned back around. "Right, it's time to get started. Skye, you two go that way like I showed you." The girl next to Ella nodded as she pulled an older girl to her side to glance around the tree. "Since you've volunteered, we need you to head back a little and then run towards the barrier that I came from as a distraction," she continued as she looked at a fourth year Ravenclaw boy. He nodded and traced his fingers back through the lines of the plan drawn in front of him. She then turned to the two younger kids, one from Hufflepuff and one from Ravenclaw. "And you two, as soon as you see us taking them over I still want you to rush out from behind the tree. Attack them with every snowball you've got." She smiled as the two younger students grinned back at her. It was clear how excited they were to be what Ella had called a vital element to the plan. "And you," she started while turning to the Ravenclaw that she had hidden with, "we're going to go straight towards them from here after he's distracted them." The Ravenclaw nodded as he took some of the snowballs the two younger students had made. "Everybody ready?" she asked looking around at everyone.

"Ready!" everyone chorused back to her.

"Move out!" she shouted. Everyone darted to their positions as Ella and the Ravenclaw remained behind the tree.

"Get him!" they heard the other group shout. They turned to their left to see the other Ravenclaw boy running straight at the barrier they had come from. The distraction was going just as planned.

"Let's go!" she shouted to the Ravenclaw boy with her. They grabbed as many snowballs as they could carry and ran around the right side of the tree before heading straight for the other group. Skye and the older Hufflepuff that the Ravenclaw had seen started sprinting towards the other group from their vantage point. The four of them started pelting snowballs at the other group as they got closer and closer. Screams of surprise could be heard as they threw more and more towards them. His fellow Ravenclaw that had been the distraction jumped from behind his original barricade and started to run towards them to join in.

"Don't think it's over yet!" the two younger students shouted in excitement as they ran up behind them. They threw a few more snowballs at the opposing group and one of them could be heard above the others.

"Alright, alright! Mercy! You win!" Everyone between the two groups started laughing as his own group helped the other up from the ground. They were all patting each other on the back as they made their ways toward the castle for lunch. Ella bumped him from the side as she laughed and gave him a side hug.

"Brilliant teamwork," she said with a bright smile as they continued up. "I'm Ella Lombardi, thanks for helping me out back there," she finished as she held out her hand to him to shake.

"Jeremy Stretton," he said to her, smiling as he shook her hand. "I've got to say that it was your excellent strategy that won it for us." Ella laughed once more as they trudged up the steps to the castle.

"Well you've got to be able to think on your toes," she said as she held the door open for him. He followed in behind her. The others that had been outside with them were already walking into the Great Hall up ahead of them.

"That you do," he responded with a chuckle. "Would you like to eat lunch with some of my mates and me? They'll never believe that I was actually on the winning side of a snowball war." Ella looked up into Jeremy's face and smiled.

"Well of course! I can't have others putting my team down, now can I?" Jeremy led Ella to a group that was sat together at the Ravenclaw table as she saluted the two purple-haired girls at the Hufflepuff table that had been outside with them.

Over at the Gryffindor table Oliver Wood's eyes followed one of the members of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team as he led a Hufflepuff girl towards the rest of the Ravenclaw team. She looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn't place where he had seen her before.

"What're you looking at?" Charlie Weasley asked his keeper as he continued eating his lunch.

"Ye whit?" Oliver said as he turned to Charlie.

"I said what're you looking at? You just randomly stopped eating your lunch."

"Oh, a wis distractit. Thoct a saw somebody that a knaw, but it leuks like Ravenclaw's gaun tae be distractit by whaiver he's brocht tae denner wi him."

"Looks like they might be." Charlie said, looking up at the Ravenclaw table. "They've got a young team. It'll be easy for them to get distracted by hormones. They haven't sorted out their priorities yet. A lot of them are in their fourth year like you are."

"A guess sae. Quidditch shoud be comin foremaist," Oliver stated. Charlie chuckled a little at that.

"For you it might," he said, looking over at Oliver. "It depends on what you're wanting to do with your life."

"A seek tae be a perfaisional Quidditch player," Oliver declared.

"See, in that case Quidditch should come first because it's what you want to do in life. It's different for other people," Charlie said. He glanced at the younger keeper next to him and thought that with the type of dedication that he was showing, Oliver will most likely be the student he suggests to McGonagall as the next Quidditch captain. After all, this was his last year as Captain.

"Whit are ye planning on daein?" Oliver asked now curious.

"Well, I've put in to work at a dragon reserve in Romania," Charlie said as if this was a common pursuit among his peers. Oliver looked at Charlie in a new light at this. He had always respected his Quidditch captain and expected him to try to go pro. He was a brilliant seeker and Oliver knew it, but of all of the alternatives to Quidditch Oliver had to admit to himself that working with dragons was pretty spectacular.

"A wiss ye luck wi that than. Ye winna git tired o that," Oliver stated with a broad smile. He glanced back up at the Ravenclaw table and saw the girl still sitting with their group and laughing. Over the next few months he found out that the Hufflepuff girl had started to date the Ravenclaw Quidditch player Jeremey Stretton that she had walked into the Great Hall with. He also discovered her name to be Ella Lombardi. Not only did she look familiar, but after he found out her name even that sounded familiar. Stretton had started performing better in the pitch and Oliver couldn't help but wonder if this Ella had contributed to that. If she had, then how?

* * *

 _Ella has started to date the fifth year Ravenclaw Quidditch player Jeremy Stretton that she met in the snowball war in November of her fourth year. This will be the beginning of what will help Ella decide what she wants in a relationship. Oliver has his heart and mind set on becoming a Professional Quidditch player. Charlie tries to show him that not everyone that plays Quidditch in school has the same goal. I'm planning on the next chapter being longer and having more interactions between the two. Thank you to those that have liked or followed the story._


	5. Broom Surfing

**Chapter 5: Broom Surfing**

 _[February 1991]_

 _ **Mum,**_

 _ **I may have some exciting news to share with you, but I'm not sure yet.**_

 _ **Love,**_

 _ **Ella**_

 _ **oOoOoOoOo**_

 _ **Ella Bella,**_

 _ **You cannot just send me letters saying that you have something to share and then not tell me what it could possibly be about! Don't let your very own mother die of anticipation.**_

 _ **Barely Holding on Here,**_

 _ **Curious Mum**_

 _ **oOoOoOoOo**_

 _ **Curious Mum,**_

 _ **Well, I had made a new friend several months back. Do you remember when I told you about the snowball war when I saw you at Christmas? I hope that you do with how much you laughed at my story…**_

 _ **Anyways, I have been able to spend an increasing amount of time getting to know one Jeremy Stretton that I believe I mentioned during my story. He's so kind and funny, you would love him! He and most of his friends play Quidditch for their house team and it's given me a**_ _ **fantastic, no a**_ _ **wonderful, noo a brilliant, wait! An**_ _ **incredible**_ _ **opportunity to see how different people handle their brooms! After watching people from afar (I know, you've told me a million times how creepy that sounds Mum. Please try to look over this fact.), I have been offered the opportunity to see so many different ticks that people do, problems that people have and what areas the brooms can be improved in UP CLOSE! AND WITH THEIR KNOWLEDGE!**_

 _ **You have to forgive me for write-drooling about getting to constantly study this (I have PAGES full of notes to share with you!), but this is not the main purpose of my letter. I was attempting to get to the point that Jeremy has asked me to be his girlfriend. Skye keeps telling me that it's a big deal. I figured if it was such a big deal that I would let you know.**_

 _ **By the way, my birthday is coming up next month and I was wondering about the new Nimbus 2000? Just thought I'd drop a little –hint hint- your way in case you were somehow uncertain about what I was hoping to get. (Think of how many people would want one after seeing mine!)**_

 _ **Your Brilliant Advertiser,**_

 _ **Ella Bella the Sella**_

 _ **P.S. Mum, please tell me you understand that Sella was meant as Seller. Skye has pointed out that you may for some reason think that I was referring to a cellar. She's absolutely barmy sometimes I tell you.**_

 _ **oOoOoOoOo**_

 _ **Ella Bella my MIGHTY Sella!**_

 _ **You never cease to amuse me my dear! Only you could decide to write me a letter that you have gotten your first boyfriend (Skye was right, that's a big deal! Of COURSE I wanted to know!) and yet somehow write me a letter that is full of Quidditch and brooms but has only one line about the actual purpose of the letter.**_

 _ **Since you are dating (or so you say) have you actually gone on a date yet? On the grounds or to Hogsmeade? Because if you have, then you must share with me! Where else will I hear such entertaining and interesting stories/events? Certainly not here, that's for certain.**_

 _ **Now, it very well wouldn't be a surprise if I told you what you'll be getting for your birthday. You always try to ruin the surprise Ella, the surprise is the BEST PART! DON'T RUIN IT! You can wait until the 20**_ _ **th**_ _ **! I know that you can! It's less than three weeks away now.**_

 _ **I**_ _ **will**_ _ **surprise you!**_

 _ **Mum**_

 _ **P.S. Maybe Skye should visit Poppy. Only she would think that you were referring to a cellar. Give me more credit dear.**_

 _ **P.S.S. Don't think that I missed the fact that you were still watching people fly from far away in the trees. It's creepy Bella.**_

 _ **oOoOoOoOo**_

 _ **Mum,**_

 _ **I just didn't see the big deal, honestly. We are good friends that hangout more than some other friends. Plus, I've been able to point out some completely**_ _ **bizarre**_ _ **things that he was doing while flying and he's gotten loads better at playing Quidditch! He's scoring on average two points more a game now. You know, no biggie, all in a day's work. But really, his whole team has been asking me for advice since I gave him some pointers.**_

 _ **Well, we haven't been on an OFFICIAL date since you ask. I should ask him about that. It would be fun to do something just the two of us! So I guess there's nothing to share, sorry Mum.**_

 _ **Mum…. You are sooo awful at surprises. You made it SO obvious that you've already set a Nimbus 2000 to the side for me! I. AM. SO. EXCITED! My broom is several models behind (as you very well know) and it's hard for me to keep up on the best way to handle the newer brooms without our latest model. The comparison helps so much, just like dad used to say!**_

 _ **Ecstatic beyond belief,**_

 _ **Ella**_

 _ **P.S. Skye was not as amused about the suggestion to visit Poppy as I was. Shame.**_

 _ **P.S.S. …**_

 _ **oOoOoOoOo**_

 _ **Oh my Ella,**_

 _ **Please keep me updated on this Stretton boy, what year is he again? And helping out a close friend with their flying habits is one thing, but do not feel like you HAVE to help his entire team if you do not want to. If you want to help them all, that is one thing. However, feeling like you have to help them all because they are friends with someone you know is not the same thing. Just a little mum advice thrown in, free of charge this time.**_

 _ **And I don't know what you're talking about. What makes you think that I've even gotten you a present yet? I could be frantically running around trying to figure out what to get you. You know nothing.**_

 _ **Love you dear,**_

 _ **Mum**_

 _ **oOoOoOoOo**_

 _ **Mum,**_

 _ **I know that it's been a few weeks since I last owled you, but I have been quite the busy fourth year now haven't I? I know that you know since Skye told me that she wrote to you. She's too sneaky! I hadn't a clue until she blurted it out in the middle of eating her porridge at brekkie the other day. There's no doubt that she's a loyal friend though, is there?**_

 _ **Anyhow, to clue you in further as I don't know what she actually WROTE. I had asked Jeremy about going on a date just the two of us some time like you mentioned. He seemed so excited about it and so was I! But Mum, oh my good Merlin. It was an absolutely horrid date. There was nothing to talk about even though I thought we had a lot of shared interests! I mean, of course there were Quidditch facts and broom related things to talk about. I just thought that he would still be as funny as the first few months after the snowball fight. Skye says that she never really found him to be that funny. I distinctly remember him being hilarious. Moving on, we went to some of the stores together in Hogsmeade earlier this week and I would point things out that I thought were fantastic and say things that had me laughing so hard that I nearly cried. I was an absolute riot Mum, can you believe I almost brought myself to tears from laughter? But he just had a slightly embarrassed appearance to him the whole time. I don't think we have the same sense of humor at all. I could see it then inside Spintwitches. So I told him right there that I didn't really think that we should date anymore. It'd not been what I thought a relationship was supposed to be up until that point.**_

 _ **He's clearly attractive Mum, there's no denying that. He's also very kind, there's no denying that either. But… I've always thought that whoever I end up dating should laugh at things that I laugh at, enjoy similar small things as me, be fun to be around, be easy to talk to and vice-versa. We just haven't been on the same wavelength on anything. For example! I told his team a few pointers, but I got so tired of them asking me for more tips that I started to tell them no like you suggested and they would get upset. They even said that it shouldn't be a big deal since I was dating Jeremy. I don't see how they thought the two things had anything to do with each other? Thank you for your free Mum advice. I don't know how you got to be so brilliant, but you are. But even he said that it wasn't a big deal and asked if I would give them all pointers. He didn't even try to ask why I didn't want to.**_

 _ **Skye has been with me everywhere I go since the entire Ravenclaw Quidditch team is now trying to get me to give them all tips on how to fix the way they all handle their brooms. They're also quite upset with me for "breaking up with Stretton so suddenly". Do you really think that Jeremy thought our attempts at dates went well? The way his team and friends are acting make me feel uncomfortable.**_

 _ **This is the longest letter I've ever written you,**_

 _ **Ella**_

 _ **P.S. Feel like dishing out some more free Mum advice?**_

 _ **oOoOoOoOo**_

 _ **My sweet Ella,**_

 _ **You've written me a novel, but you're correct that Skye wrote to me. She was just worried about how the Ravenclaw team has been treating you (and it appears that you have been too). Skye is as good as they come and you make sure to show her that I said so! It runs in her blood. I expect her to share that with her mother! –hint hint-**_

 _ **You should always go with your instincts my Bella. What you have included about your dates sounds like it was not enjoyable in the least and I'm so sorry to hear this. I think that you were right to end things, but knowing you I'm sure that you could have built up to telling him so a little more. I can honestly tell you that I wouldn't be surprised if you were laughing at something you said and then after a few moments of silence told him that you didn't think that the two of you should see each other anymore. You are so caring and honest, but you must think of how someone may take what you say to them. Just try to think about it from his perspective for at least five minutes, that's all that I ask.**_

 _ **If you ask me, his friends are no good. They are of course smart, as Ravenclaws are supposedly to be, since they have been asking YOU for advice on their broom handling. I doubt someone there could be more informative about it than you! You best recognize the pride that was contained in that last sentence!**_

 _ **I would not be the person to ask about what Jeremy thought Bella, you must ask him yourself. Also if the actions of him and his team are making you feel uncomfortable, then you should tell him so. Things are not always so obvious to other people.**_

 _ **I wish you the best. Tell me how it goes.**_

 _ **Love,**_

 _ **Mum**_

 _ **P.S. I'll always dish it out for you love.**_

 _ **oOoOoOoOo**_

 _ **To the most Merlin-sent Mum to ever exist,**_

 _ **You are, without a doubt, the most brilliant Mum I know. I did what you suggested and thought about how I had ended the short-lived relationship with Jeremy. I realized that if he had done to me what I had done to him, I would have been upset too! I may have thought that he was laughing AT me and then broke up with me with no explanation. I had thought it through so much in my head that it hadn't even occurred to me that he may not have been thinking the same thing! Although, I guess I should have expected as much since I told you that we have clearly not been on the same wavelength.**_

 _ **So I had Skye help me get Jeremy alone to talk to him. It was surprisingly easier than I thought it would be, but I'm pretty sure Skye is the reason it went so smoothly. When I was given the chance to talk to him one on one I immediately apologized and told him that I realized that I had not even explained why I thought we shouldn't date. He actually laughed and said that was part of the problem. Can you believe he actually laughed?! I think it was the first time that I had made him laugh since he has asked me to be his girlfriend. So I took the time to explain what I had been feeling and he was not on the same page as me at all to begin with. He had thought that we were getting along fine, but didn't find my humor to be amusing too often. It took another ten minutes and back and forth before we were FINALLY on the same page about why it wasn't working between us.**_

 _ **I even got to tell him how uncomfortable it made me feel with the way he and his team kept asking me to give them all flying tips! I have school work to do as well, I can't spend all of my free time helping them for no reason. I wasn't even enjoying it like I had at first. You would think that he of all people would understand since his O.W.L.S. are this year! That took another ten minutes for him to wrap his head around. Luckily we are now in agreement that we are wonderful friends, but we were not meant to date each other! Quite possibly the best conversation that I've had with him and all thanks to you! I told you that you were the most Merlin-sent Mum to ever exist (especially since the rest of his team has left me alone for the most part! Now I just get friendly waves from them and little tidbits on things that they figure out about their brooms.). It couldn't have worked out better! I think I'm done 'dating' for a while too. That was far too much hassle for me!**_

 _ **All of my love,**_

 _ **Bella Ella**_

 _ **P.S. OF COURSE I recognized the pride in your sentence!**_

 _ **P.S.S. I still swear the joke I said in Spintwitches was downright hilarious! It wasn't just me who thought so either! I saw a Gryffindor that I think is in my year in the corner of the store holding his sides trying to not laugh out loud! And before you try to say that I only think someone else was laughing at my joke, he wasn't in the store with anyone. So... unless he's absolutely mad, he was laughing at my joke! Hah!**_

 _ **oOoOoOoOo**_

 _ **I TAKE IT BACK, NOW YOU ARE THE MOST MERLIN-SENT MUM TO EVER EXIST! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU FOR MY NIMBUS 2000! I AM LITERALLY DROOLING! I'M GOING TO GO FLY NOW! LOVE YOU MUM!**_

 _ **ALL OF MY LOVE AND THANKS,**_

 _ **YOUR SCREAMING ELLA**_

 _ **-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-**_

"Ella, where are you going?" Skye asked mid-motion of eating her porridge. Her friend has just received a package at breakfast in the Great Hall and started screaming when she read the letter attached to it. If anything, Skye was just glad that she could see excitement and not terror on Ella's face beside her. Others throughout the hall did not have the same privilege as her though and were giving curious and slightly worried glances their way. Ella had frantically written on a spare piece of parchment that she immediately sent off after only a few seconds of screaming and grabbed the package up in her arms before she sprinted out of the doors of the Great Hall. Skye took a look at the letter that Ella had left on the table where she had been sitting as she put another spoonful or porridge in her mouth.

 _ **Happy Birthday my Yella Ella Bella!**_

 _ **See what I did there!? Because you're in Hufflepuff! I'm so brilliant (I know), but here is your gift sweetie! Don't open it in the Great Hall, I'd rather you get to test it out before others see that you've got one (Plus they're not available to the public yet). You always guess what I'm going to get you, it really isn't fair. How am I supposed to truly surprise you when you're this way? Anyway, tell me how it rides and I can't wait to see your notes on it at the end of term! Tell Skye hello for me! Her mum is with me and is asking how she's doing. Please tell her to write her mum when she has a chance!**_

 _ **Xoxo,**_

 _ **Mum**_

"I keep meaning to write mum," Skye muttered before looking back over the letter to see why Ella had screamed like a bloody lunatic. It was on her third read-through that she focused on the words 'how it rides', 'notes on it' and 'you've got one'. Realization struck her as she quickly stood up with the letter in hand and while in shock loudly said, "There's _no_ way she got that!" She quickly picked up her and Ella's bags and grabbed a biscuit as she rushed towards the doors to the Great Hall. She _had_ to see if Ella's mum had really gotten her the latest model for her birthday. Skye could hear whooping and loud yells of glee as soon as she stepped outside the front doors of Hogwarts. Looking towards the Quidditch pitch she could see a lone figure zipping about and doing all sorts of maneuvers so she started making her way in that direction. She heard Ella make another loud exclamation of pure joy as she pulled off a rather intricate series of dives, flips and spins. Skye was just about to walk through the entrance to the pitch when Ella came zipping past her completely upright on her new broom like it was a surfboard. "Oi! We're not at the beach Ella! Why are you surfing about? I didn't even know that people could do that!" she shouted at Ella as she circled up higher in the air.

"We may not be at a beach, but there's definitely a body of water here!" Ella yelled down to Skye as she laid back flat on her Nimbus 2000 to zoom across the Black Lake. Skye was so completely enveloped in her conversation with Ella that she hadn't even noticed someone else coming down to the pitch.

"It's nae something that a heap o fowk can dae richt, tae be honest wi ye," Oliver said from a meter or so back from Skye. Skye jumped slightly as she turned towards him. She hadn't heard him walk up behind her due to Ella's shouting. "Sairy, a didna mean tae scar ye. A wis anely tryin tae practeese a bit afore awbody ense o the Gryffindor team comes oot for the team practice." Skye began to smile as she looked out on Ella flying over the Black Lake.

"Want to see something wicked?" Skye asked Oliver with a devious smirk on his face. Oliver laughed before saying to go ahead in his Scottish brogue. Skye set both her and Ella's bags down on the ground as she pulled out her wand and turned back to face Ella flying about. "Mobiliarbus Water," Skye stated as she pointed her wand at the water of the Black Lake. After a few seconds of the water swirling a wave started to form at the opposing end of the lake that Ella was on. "Sonorus," Skye said as she pointed at her own throat. She faced Ella and said, "Ella, prepare to really surf!" Ella could be seen slightly turning towards the amplified voice of Skye, but then quickly looked back to the now growing wave that was approaching her. It was already several stories tall! "Quietus," Skye said as she once again pointed at her throat. "Now then," she started as she turned back to Oliver with a slightly manic grin on her face, "prepare yourself because I wasn't kidding. This is going to be right wicked." Skye turned back to watch Ella and Oliver turned slightly to watch with her, his own broom thrown over his shoulder. Ella started to fly towards the wave that was approaching her and circled around to come at the wave from behind. She stood back up on her Nimbus 2000 as she was about to pass through the water to the front of the wave with her arms outstretched as far as she could get them.

"Now _this_ is how to surf!" Ella shouted from her spot among the giant wave. She changed her position up and down the wave as it shrunk the closer it got to the side of the Black Lake that was opposite from where it had started. Ella continued on towards where she saw Skye and someone else standing when the wave had diminished to nothing. "You are the absolute Bee's Knees!" Ella shouted as she came closer to the pair. Just as she was about to collide with Skye she brought herself down to her broom and hopped to the ground at a run, broom in hand, to envelop Skye in a hug. "Isn't it brilliant!?" Ella shouted as she spun around in their hug. Oliver laughed at her excitement and the way she hugged the girl that had started the whole surfing experience. Ella turned when she heard his laugh and quickly enveloped him in a hug as well, not caring who it was, and spun around in her hug once more while laughing. Oliver couldn't help but to laugh with her, her joy was infectious. After one more turn Ella let him go and quickly faced Skye. "Did you see how well it handled? And that wave? Absolutely brilliant! And you said that we weren't at a beach! That was far better than any wave at a beach."

"That wis quite inbeirin tae see," Oliver said from behind her with a smile still on his face. Ella turned to him still full of excitement.

"It wasn't all me though," Ella quickly said, "the broom had a lot to do with it. I've just gotten it from my mum today for my birthday. I had to try it out before Arithmancy later. Can you imagine sitting through that ENTIRE class knowing that you've been given a broom that you haven't flown before? What a perfect day to be the International Day of Happiness!" Oliver laughed and shook his head slightly.

"A honestly canna. It'd be richt tortur for me," Oliver told her honestly. The two girls grinned at his response. "My name's Oliver Wood," he said holding out his hand to shake. Ella laughed as she shook his hand.

"Ella Lombardi," she said still smiling.

"Skye Wolff," Skye said also shaking his hand with a smile on her face.

"Gif ye arena bathered by me askin, whit kynd tae bruim daed you get?" Ella quickly perked up while Skye could be heard muttering 'You just had to ask.'

"It's a Nimbus 2000!" Ella exclaimed running in place out of excitement.

"Isna!" Oliver shouted in shock, "Coud a see it up near?" He now seemed just as excited as Ella had been and crowded closer to her and the new broom model. "Hou daed ye get ane? A heard that anely perfaisional players hae thaim sae faur an that thay winna be appen tae the public for anither month!" He looked up at the two girls in front of him in complete awe. He, Oliver Wood, was getting to touch a Nimbus 2000! Only professional players, Ella and he had even TOUCHED one of the models so far. He couldn't wait to tell his friends.

"Oh, I forgot about that," Ella said with a frown replacing her smile as she slightly slouched to the side in thought. "Could you not tell anyone that I have it until then? I don't need a lot of people bothering me between classes or meals about it if I can avoid it."

"O coorse," Oliver said. "A can dae that for ye." Oliver smiled at them both again and felt like he had just made two new friends that could help him enjoy time off of the pitch, like Charlie kept encouraging him to do. He could hold off a while to tell his other friends about the Nimbus 2000.

"You are perfectly spectacular," the two girls said in synch before laughing at each other for saying the same thing at the same time. "My family owns and runs the Nimbus Racing Broom Company so my mom sent me the newest model to take notes on improvements since the last model and areas that still need improvement from the data that I've gathered," Ella explained.

"Bide a wee, a hae mynd o bletherin tae Devlin Whitehorn's granddochter a few year aby. Is 'at ye?"

"Yeah, that's me," Ella said slowly. "I don't really remember telling anyone, but I'm glad that you understand and I'm glad to meet you again." A smile was stuck on all three of their faces. Nothing was going to bring down Ella's excitement on her birthday.

"Me an aw, mebbe A'll get tae dae something wi ye baith whan a daena hae practice. It's been fun tae juist be here wi ye baith leuk tae ye surfin." Oliver smiled and both girls' smiles got even larger. They both pulled him into a small group hug.

"Friends it is then!" Skye shouted as she thrust one arm into the sky in a victory motion. Oliver and Ella both laughed as they all said bye to each other so that Oliver could go to his practice that was now only five minutes from starting and the girls could head up to Arithmancy with Professor Vector.

 _ **Mum,**_

 _ **I know it hasn't been long since my last letter, but I finished my Arithmancy assignment early so I wanted to tell you that the 2000 flew like a**_ _ **dream**_ _ **! I couldn't believe how much faster and smoother it was than the last model! I even surfed on it in an actual wave (Skye and Oliver will back me up on this!). Oh! Which makes me remember to tell you!**_

 _ **Skye and I have made a new friend that participated in the surfing experience and actually agreed to not tell anyone that I have the newest model until it's available to the public, can you believe that? How lucky/awesome! We had such a good time with him and he's said that he would love to hang out with us again. I'm excited because this will be my first friend in Gryffindor! I know how important you said it was to put forth an effort to get along with all of the houses so I'm excited that I've been able to branch away from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw! Class it almost over now, hope to hear from you soon!**_

 _ **Love,**_

 _ **Ella**_

* * *

 _I apologize for the long wait for those that have been following the story. I try to not have my personal life in this at all, but I just graduated from my University and so I was very busy working to finish strong. Since I'm done with school until I decide to go back for my Master's Degree I don't think I'll have quite as much time until my next post as I did for this one and the last._


End file.
